What is West Coast Swing?
West Coast Swing (WCS) is a partner dance derived from lindy hop. It has its roots dating back to the 1930’s New York and later in California, where it currently enjoys status as the official state dance.
WCS is a smoother style of swing than traditional big band swing and is more casual than ballroom dancing. The music tends to have a strong beat and sexy attitude, with a rhythm that gets people up on the dance floor. It combines swing dancing with R&B, funk, pop, rock and roll, top 40, and blues music.
WCS is a lead/follow dance with fundamental patterns and counts; however, there is plenty of room for musical interpretation and styling. The basic rhythm patterns are 6 and 8 counts. The leader stays primarily in the center, while the follower moves along a straight or "slotted" path. The dance relies on leverage and connection between the leader and the follower.
West Coast Swing is extremely versatile, once you've learned the basic patterns and technique, you can dance almost anywhere, anytime… at a nightclub, a wedding, black tie gala, or at your next company party.